Major dilemma? How To Make the Right Decision!

A few times in my life I have encountered a major personal dilemma.  In each case, I had to choose a path that would have a major impact on my future. 

I was lucky to receive some good advice that first time - a wise family friend told me:

 "Step 1:  Make a decision in your mind to choose Alternative A.  Walk around for a few days, paying attention to how your gut feels.  Assume that Alternative A is going to happen, imagine how that will play out for you.  Notice how good (or not so good) you feel.  Notice how well you sleep.  Notice what your thought patterns are."

This is the important part - tuning in to that inside gut instinct of "What feels right".  If the decision isn't clear yet, don't worry.  Just keep on with the process.  

"Step 2:  Flip your mind to assume your decision moves to choose Alternative B.  Now walk around for a few more days, paying attention to how your gut feels.  Assume that Alternative B is going to happen, imagine how that will play out for you.  Notice how good (or not so good) you feel.  Notice how well you sleep.  Notice what your thought patterns are."

By this point in the process, you should be leaning toward one choice or the other, and your inner voice should be helping you make a decision.  

"Step 3:  Ask your spouse for an opinion, or those who you trust to be fair and honest with you."

 

Often, the spouse or trusted friend/family member will confirm your instinctive choice.   I have recommended this strategy to friends and colleagues, and a few have even come back to me within 24 hours of our conversation with a clear decision and great sense of relief.  
  

Trust your inner voice, pay attention and let the "mulling" of the facts and options help you make your best choice!

Life Lessons - Steve Jobs Commencement Speech to Stanford U in 2005

Olny Srmat Poelpe Can Raed Tihs - See Why!

I cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaeonmneal pweor of the huamn mnid, aoccrdnig to rsreeach at Cmabirgde Uinervtisy, it deons’t mttaer in waht oedrr the ltteers in the word are, the only ipmrontat tnhig is the frsit and lsat ltteer be in the rghit palce. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can siltl raed wouthit a pbrloem.

Tihs is bceasue the hmuan mnid deos not raed ervey lteter bu isltef but the wrod as a wlohe. Azmanig! So who thhguout sleilpng was iprontmat. If you can raed tish, psas the lnik on to your fdrenids.

Performance Discipline - 7 tips for Winning Results

Managing people is usually the difficult part of a job - human interaction leaves much open to interpretation.  When an employee is not performing, there are many variables that contribute to the problem:

   - personal issues (these can cloud an empoyee's judgement or capability)

  - unclear expectations (ever try to do a job when you aren't sure WHAT to the job is?)

  - lack of job training (impacts capability)

The key question to ask:  "Is this employee trainable / salvagable to eventually perform the required job?" 

When your answer is "yes", the solution is usually added training or clarified expectations.  When your answer is "no", it's time for employee performance discipline.  Okay, so it's time for discipline.  Some hints:
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1)  Determine the specific expectations required on the job. 
Make sure there is a clear, written job description (this is the minimum performance delivery required for the employee to keep his/her job).  Review expectations with the employee - use examples to clarify how the job duties are to be performed or delivered.

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2)  Work with the employee to establish agreed upon standards for performance. 
These standards may include timeliness (ie. meeting deadlines), accuracy or quality levels, and completeness of job duties.  Often, employees, when asked what is a reasonable job standard, will commit to a higher level than the supervisor expects.  Make sure there are clear measures of these agreed standards so that the employee can self-monitor results and report back on a regular basis.

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3)  Follow up daily, weekly or monthly on measurement of standards. 
Frequency of meeting will depend on the degree of supervision appropriate to the situation.  Where results are below standard, identify solutions that both employer and employee can participate in (i.e. job-specific training by employer, self-study or extra care by employee)

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4)  When continued efforts to improve performance are not successful, written discipline is the next step. 
Before meeting, write down a specific list of performance deficiencies including specific examples of each deficiency.  When you are ready for the discipline meeting, keep this list handy and quietly (subtly) "tick off" each item on the list as you discuss with the employee.  This list will help keep you on track, ensure you don't forget anything and will also become your HR documentation if needed later.

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5)  Buy a box of tissues 
Keep them handy in case the employer/employee meeting becomes emotional.  If the employee cries, hand out the tissue(s) and wait......   resume the meeting and complete discussion of the deficiencies when the employee is composed.  


If you cancel the rest of the meeting once crying commences, you will have to redo the discipline discussion all over again at a later time -- it's better to complete all of the issues in one meeting and get the pain over with. 

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6)  Conclude the meeting with a solution and action plan with dates for followup. 
This is usually a list of performance standards to remain employed (stated to the employee in a letter).  

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7)  Have a Plan B in the back of your mind, in case an employee is beligerent or insubordinate. 
There will be situations where an employee will never admit performance problems or who, by the end of the meeting, you will realize they are "unsalvageable" in terms of ever getting to required performance levels.  In these more severe cases, having a more serious discussion about termination or resignation can be appropriate.  You may also keep a termination letter handy (with researched severance options etc), to be presented only in a worst case scenario - this can save you the difficulty of rescheduling a separate termination meeting later. 

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Where possible, work on training, clear expectations and ways to salvage employees - this is the mark of true leadership!

5 Key Ingredients for Success -- in Sports and Business

The following tips come from a sports coach at Shelby High School in Montana, Ray Wanty.  Ray distilled his learning and coaching of successful athletes into 5 key elements.  I think these 5 key elements apply equally to business, and even to overall personal success.  Consider them and see if you agree:

The Level of  Our Success is Dependent on…

1. The Daily Habits We Create
     - am I creating good habits? 
     - am I getting rid of bad habits?
     - do I add new habits regularly that keep me growing and developing?
     ... my daily habits become the core expression of who I am

2. Our Most Dominant Thoughts
     - my thoughts drive my feelings, which drive my behavior
     - positive thoughts will keep me upbeat
     - I need to control and focus the "channels" in my brain
     ... my thoughts eventually become my beliefs and my behavior and my destiny

3. How Well We Serve Others
     - my interaction with others builds my own network and support system
     - my service to others builds my esteem and credibility
     ... my behavior in my community establishes my reputation and esteem

4. The Amount of Sincere Gratitude You Show
     - my sincerity and gratitude provide opportunity for leadership
     - my sincerity and gratitude allow me to fully enjoy my successes
     ... my sincerity and gratitude will build and strengthen my relationships

5. The Level of Commitment Towards Your Passion (Singleness of Purpose)
     - Commitment to my passion helps me remain focused on the end goal
     - Commitment to my passion heps me fend of distractions
     - Commitment to my passion increases my speed of success
     ... Commitment and Singleness of Purpose is the ingredient that links my thoughts, behaviors, support systems and relationships together to attain success

"Can't" is a four letter word! 4 Tips to break through barriers....

High performance racecar drivers and pilots overcome obstacle courses with an interesting technique. They visualize the "path around" any obstacle or barrier in their way.  

One professional pilot described the risks very succinctly:  "If you look at the barrier, you will most likely hit it.  If you look at the path around the barrier, you will be successful and maintain your momentum."

How often do we focus on the negative barriers or obstacles in our own work or personal situations?  

- I have watched teams implode because polarized groups took sides; each focused on negative aspects of the other position. 

- I have watched marriages falter because one or both parties focused on the negatives and irritations of the other partner. 

- I have watched business ventures fail because partners lost trust in each other and each "dug in" to a position that they could not work through to a resolution.

The secret?  Creative thinking, using "outside the box" analysis with the goal of creating a unified "new approach" to an agreed upon end solution.  

Ha!  Easy to say, but how does one actually accomplish this?

1) Agree on a common vision or end result; get everyone on the same page.   Restating your end result as a "vision statement" can be helpful:

2) Use  creative thinking techniques to brainstorm alternative solutions (remember: ignore the barriers and negatives, focus only on new, innovative alternatives) 

3) Filter your list of brainstormed alternatives into an agreed ranking of highest to lowest priority.  If necessary, you may have to agree first on the criteria to be applied to  calculate the ranking.  For example, must be a) within current budget, b) feasible with  existing staff resources, c) leaves no department at a significant market disadvantage, etc.

4) Remember the "people" side of these issues -- rebuild trust between polarized groups.  A great book that I have used is The Speed of Trust by Steven M. R. Covey. 




If you can break out of the downward spiral of negative emotion, you have a good chance of eliminating that 4-letter word, "can't" from the vocabulary of your business.  

It's all about focus  -- concentrate on the end vision to drive your success!

Social Media explained in 2 minutes - guest post from bitrebels.com

posted by bitrebels.com
http://www.bitrebels.com/geek/social-media-explained-in-2-minutes-10-key-facts/

Leaders Cannot Be Blamers: 3 Things - guest post by QAspire

The true test of a leader is when things don’t go as planned. Worst yet, when things fail.

In an organizational context, I have seen so many leaders who drive the project/initiative right from the beginning – yet when the project fails, they blame others. They blame senior management, the organization culture, their own team members and sometimes even the customers. It tells me something – if you decide that you want to blame “others”, you will invariably find those “others”. That is an easy choice, and the one that puts everyone down.

When leaders indulge into the blame game, they lose respect because they throw a negative vibe around. This vibe is powerful (and sometimes even viral), because it comes from someone who is supposed to be a leader. It spreads fast, harms reputation of leader and culture of the organization on a longer run.

If you are a leader at any level, here are three things worth noting:

• Blaming is easy but taking responsibility, learning from mistakes and implementing those lessons to improve constantly is difficult. It is these difficult things that makes a real leader. Similarly, for an organization, building a culture where people are not afraid of taking responsibility is critical.
• Leaders need to watch and choose their words. Every conversation with others is an opportunity to make a difference. When you talk negative, focus too much on problems and blame others, you are missing the opportunity.
• Leadership is about using “we” language more than “I versus them”, and that kind of leadership owns the failures as much as they own their successes. It is about celebrating the contributions from each team member when team succeeds, and take collective ownership of failures, learn from them and improve. It is also about knowing when to step up and take the lead, versus when to step down and let people perform.

Bottom line:

Leadership is not just about enjoying the fruits of success. It comes with a fair share of failures as well. We cannot be the leaders who blame others.

   
http://qaspire.com/blog/2011/03/07/leaders-cannot-be-blamers-3-things/      posted Mar 6.2011

Nightmare team projects - tips to "turnaround" into success

My worst team project ever turned into my most successful accomplishment.  How?  By rebuilding the group into a great team! 

A DAUNTING TASK +  IMMOVABLE DEADLINE



Here was the recipe we started with:

- a daunting task never-before accomplished in our business or industry,

- an immovable deadline (failure could sink the business),

- a team of intense, diverse individuals who fought, stormed and drove each other crazy.  

Imagine the following individuals (identities have been changed to protect privacy):

Chris - a.k.a. "Eeyore", the gloom and doom guy.  Slow but thorough in his work.  Knows operational issues within the company better than most.



Sandy - a.k.a. "Gerbil on speed" - talks forty miles a minute, thinks even faster.  Easily annoyed by people who cannot keep up to her trail of thought.  New to the company but quick to understand and improve processes.

Jerry - a.k.a. The Comic with a strange, warped sense of humor.  Giggles  and offers humorous (or not so humorous) commentary without mercy until the group cannot stand it.  Very high technical skills, can troubleshoot anything in the business.

Alex - Social butterfly.  Loves coming to work, but gets little done because of time spent walking around and chatting.  Good understanding of market issues which could impact the project.

Ryan - Control freek.  Project leader in charge of making the objectives on a very tight deadline with the above individuals, who are the only "experts" in the particular areas needed on the project.



Month 1 - the group worked on this project 50% of their time.  They spent every afternoon in month 1 formulating a critical path timeline with key milestones.   Ryan (the leader) was late to most meetings, building resentment in the group for wasting their time.  Within 2 weeks, every individual had complained about other team members to anyone in the company who would listen.

.......time for group dynamics review: 

1) admit breakdown within the group

 - gain acknowledgement from all group members of frustration

 - identify key frustrations and areas of breakdown

 - group identified frustrations into "themes"

2) review end vision and goals to ensure all group members agree

- identify "gaps" in vision

- brainstorm solutions to gaps

- conclude with all group member on the same page for the "final vision"

3) have the group set its own ground rules of behavior

      - attend meetings on time - personal commitment

      - come prepared with all relevant materials

      - don't commit to more than you can deliver

      - acknowledge the others' contributions

      - agrue respectfully if you disagree with an approach

      - bring solutions not complaints to the group

      - MRI (most respectful interpretation) used at all times

4) identify group members' strengths and contributions

     - senior leaders regrouped with the team in a teambuilding setting

     - senior leaders identified each group member's unique contribution to the team

     - team members each acknowledged their own individual styles and the advantages of the group's diversity

This DISC evaluation process helped "restart" the project - members refocused on the end goal, learned to appreciate team members' differences and were able to gain traction in their execution of the project plan.  
Bottom line: don't forget to deal with the people issues on your project - they are the key to your eventual success!

Innovation - where good ideas come from

Business Introductions - add value to your own business network

Building a network of business contacts takes time and patience.  One great way to expand your network is to add "introductions" to your regular routine. 

1) Utilize business cards - when you meet someone interesting, ask for their card and jot a comment or two on the back regarding the conversation / issue / opportunity:

 

USE BUSINESS CARDS TO STRENGTHEN RELATIONSHIPS



2) expand your electronic contact list, add new business cards into natural groupings (by interest, business opportunity, etc).  Make notes of issues, interests and possible introductions where possible

3) use a business card scanner to easily enter your business contact information electronically.  Technology has made these card readers easily accessible and useable for very reasonable prices at office supply stores.

4) when you meet someone who would benefit from an introduction to another contact, ask their permission to provide an introduction -- note the "introduction" opportunity on the back of their business card to jog your memory later.

5) link up two or more individuals who may have a mutual benefit by email:

   "Joe, I met Suzie Cue, who is an entrepreneur in the same business you are.  She has some interesting marketing ideas that you might also benefit from.  Suzie, I have known Joe Shmoe for 10 years and he runs a great small business in XYZ community.  I think you two would enjoy meeting over coffee to discuss common business interests.  Please consider this an introduction to both of you.  your emails are as follows:

    joeshmoe@anyweb.com   suziecue@bizzness.com "

I have made an effort to facilitate at least 2 or 3 introduction per month.  Over the years, I have had many thank you's from those folks I have introduced - and some great stories of new opportunities and alliances formed.   What a great feeling to know you have positively impacted other businesses in your circle of colleagues!

Listening - the lost art that improves results

Smart people talk fast and think fast.  Often, they struggle to "slow down" and LISTEN.

A wise CEO once told me that enthusiastic employees (especially smart ones) are often so busy thinking forward to plan a response that they are not hearing the conversation of the moment, and miss key points or issues in a given situation. 

How does one stay "in the moment" and really hear the full conversation?  This is a skill that can be practiced. 

1) Prepare your mind ahead of time, stop all non-relevant activities before your conversation begins.

2) Mentally review the topic or subject matter beforehand -- also consider your audience - who are you listening to?  do you know the details or background of the issue at hand?

3) Maintain eye contact at all times, try to focus on the key points of the conversation - show the speaker that you are sincerely interested and fully engaged in the conversation

4) When your mind wanders, gently bring it back to the present moment, to the key points of conversation.  Keep repeating this behavior and you will improve your concentration ability

5) Avoid distractions - position yourself away from noisy areas and known distractions

6) Acknowledge any emotional reactions from the speaker - anger, sadness etc. 

7) Remain calm yourself, particularly if you are emotional about the topic.  One trick?  Breathe slowly and focus on calm, slow breaths as you watch your speaker.  Remember that you are there to listen and understand, not to respond emotionally.

8) Repeat back the essential points of the discussion - the speaker will feel "heard" and "listened to".    Difficult situations can be diffused simply by allowing the speaker to vent and be acknowledged.

9) Use non-verbal signals to acknowledge your speaker (nod your head, lean forward, smile, etc)

10) Stay neutral - try not to formulate a "position" that agrees or disagrees - simply encourage the full exploration of the issue / train of thought

Amazing technology tidbits video - Did you know?

Creating Accountability at work - 3 ways to engage your team

A manager said an interesting thing in my office the other day, "I have plausible deniability if this projects goes wrong."   I was a little taken aback -- what exactly does that mean?  If a project goes great, I'll take the credit -- but if it crashes, then I have a great excuse?  ....where is accountability in business? 

As a leader, how do we build accountability in our people?  in our organization?

One way is to embed accountability everywhere we can in our systems and procedures: 

a) Action Log:  a colleague of mine uses an "action log" to hold her team accountable.  She has designed a spreadsheet, listing all the team's tasks in rows and using right hand columns to track "Who" is accountable, by "When", followed by comments on "How" (that is, the details or expectations within that task process) or "Why" (context or strategic reasons). The current date column is conditionally formatted to be red, yellow or green based on the deadline date compared to the current date.  That is, as the deadline looms closer, the cell turns to yellow and then red. 

At regular staff meetings (these can be weekly or daily) the list is reviewed by the whole group, and each person on the "who" list is accountable publicly to the team for their tasks. My friend noted that at the first few meetings there was "squirming" as Action Log deadlines were not met, but eventually the staff fell into a focused routine.

The added benefit?  There is a permanent documented list of accomplishments for the group to look back on - positive reinforcement! 

b) Transparency Reporting:  Build reporting capability in your department or company that publishes results -- good or bad -- regularly to all stakeholders.   What reports to use?  Measure those things you want accountability on, and ask those who are accountable to "own the report" and present it to their peers and/or management.  Ownership of the issues increases accountability.

c) Team Dynamics - Add a Personal Accountability Buddy:  google accountability and you'll find lots of information on using an "accountability buddy".  This can be on a personal level (i.e. to help you work out/lose weight) or a business level (i.e. a business or life coach).  The principle here is to create an atmosphere where employees are engaged, where they have a high level of trust and can support each other to constantly improve a situation or meet specific goals.

Whether you use a systemic approach or encourage a "team culture", increased accountability will build business credibility and increase customer confidence in your group's results.

Career Acceleration: 4 Essential Elements (pt4: the 4-eye'd employee)

The following is based on a presentation made to the UBCO (University of British Columbia Okanagan) female business students affiliated with the Sauder School of Business on January 28, 2011. (Presenters: Meryle Corbett, CMA,FCMA CFO of Kelowna Flightcraft Group of Companies; and Paulette Rennie, President of ValleyFirst Credit Union)

What strategies will make YOU successful in business? A group of C-suite executives agreed that the key to a rising business career includes four main characteristics. They are described below in our series, "The 4-eyed employee" :

So what are we talking about? The first "eye" or "I" attribute is the underlying foundation for business success:

INTELLIGENCE

The second "eye" or "I" attribute is the secret to longevity in your career:

INTEGRITY

The third "eye" or "I" attribute is the driver of where and how far you go:

INITIATIVE

The fourth "eye" or "I" attribute is the attribute that will accelerate your accomplishments:

INTUITION

This is the magic ingredient that makes careers soar!  Even though you can be intelligent, of the highest integrity and a great worker with lots of initiative, sometimes it's a combination of luck, timing and "street smarts" that will make your career take off.

a) Read body language and get to know your customer / boss / client

One great style assessment tool is the DISC model:  Dominance, Influence, Steadiness, Compliance.    Are you task-oriented, needing a high level of control over your world?  Are you a relationship-based consensus builder?  Are you an analyzer preferring routine activity?  are you most comfortable with rules and regulations and heavy structure?    Do you have problems relating to peers because their style is different than yours?  Do you have problems with team members  or subordinates "clashing"?

The DISC assessment tool enables individuals to view their leadership and business style in a comparative way to others, and offers solutions to help them leverage their own styles to work most effectively with others.  Learning how to read your audience can enable higher levels of success.  

b) Use your right-brain creative side as well as your left-brain logic. 

Career Acceleration: 4 Essential Elements (pt 3, the 4-eye'd employee)

The following is based on a presentation made to the UBCO (University of British Columbia Okanagan) female business students affiliated with the Sauder School of Business on January 28, 2011. (Presenters: Meryle Corbett, CMA,FCMA CFO of Kelowna Flightcraft Group of Companies; and Paulette Rennie, President of ValleyFirst Credit Union)

What strategies will make YOU successful in business? A group of C-suite executives agreed that the key to a rising business career includes four main characteristics. They are described below in our series, "The 4-eyed employee" :

So what are we talking about? The first "eye" or "I" attribute is the underlying foundation for business success:
INTELLIGENCE
The second "eye" or "I" attribute is the key to career longevity:
INTEGRITY
The third "eye" or "I" attribute is the secret to how far your career will rise:
INITIATIVE
1) Stand out from the pack:  Produce  at least 10% more than your competitors
You need to position yourself above the crowd in order to accelerate your career.  This means getting noticed by management for producing results superior to your competitors.
     - quantity of work is higher - find scalable improvements, efficiencies that save time
     - quality of work is superior - what makes a boss notice you and your work?
     - deliver more than is expected - anticipate what your boss will ask or need
If you can find a way to be seen as "above the crowd", you are on your way to winning promotions and moving up the career ladder.

2) "Results" are more valued by management than just "Effort"
Think about it:  if one employee puts in 50% more effort but delivers the same results as the average employee, he/she is inefficient compared to the others.  In fact, this inefficiency is probably even costing the company overtime.  RESULTS are what count in the long run and what get you noticed in the workplace.  

Funny Office Stories: embarrassing email moments

We have all been there - sent an email you regret.  How do you handle the aftermath?

This happened about a year ago.....  

I call it "Sorry, dialed the wrong number! "

It was very late on a Friday night,

in the middle of heated, nose-to-nose negotiations with a critical supplier who had threatened to withdraw services essential to our core business.  

I was writing a strongly worded, very frank email to a board member discussing this supplier's flawed approach, their (outrageous, in my view) proposal, our internal assessment of the situation and my counter-proposal and our internal "give-away" points in the negotiations.  

My mistake?  Both the suppier and the board member have the same first name.  Guess who actually actually received the board member's email ?  --the supplier! (yes, the auto-naming feature in Outlook outdid itself by grabbing the most recent firstname email in my history)